Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

5 from 1 vote

Published Dec 03, 2025

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Melt in your mouth shortbread cookies that are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint candy. These cookies are the ultimate festive holiday treat for dessert or to add to your cookie plates. You will love how easy and quickly they come together plus they are so cute!

Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Shortbread on parchment paper in a row.

What’s To Love
Ingredients Needed
Steps To Make These Cookies
Recipe Tips
Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Recipe

What’s To Love

Easy to make! They come together east and quickly.
Customize. If you aren’t a peppermint fan, use another festive candy.
The perfect homemade gift. You can wrap them up in cute paper and give as a gift for the family or a hostess.

Ingredients Needed

All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.

All Purpose Flour. The base of the shortbread cookie. Use gluten free flour if needed.
Powdered Sugar. Another base to the shortbread cookie!
Butter. Use a high quality unsalted butter for the best outcome.
Vanilla Extract. This adds a nice sweet undertone to the cookies.
Salt. This brings out the flavor in the cookie.
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. You can use milk chocolate or dark if preferred, this is what you will dip the cookies in.
Peppermint Candy. Crushed candy canes or premade crushed peppermint will work great. You can also use chopped peanuts or m&ms

Steps To Make These Cookies

Ready to bake these Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Shortbread? Let me walk you through the recipe. For your convenience, there is a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.

Step One. (Photo 1) Make the shortbread cookies: Cream the softened butter in a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended. Mix in the flour and salt continue to mix until the dough is crumbly. Mix slowly until a crumbly dough forms. It will look like crumbs in the stand mixer, but when squeezed together in your hands it should hold its shape.
Step Two. Shape into a disk or round ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step Three. (Photo 2) After refrigeration, Preheat oven to 325°F Once chilled, roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut into festive shapes. Or, simply cut into squares, rectangles or circles using a pastry cutter.
Step Four. Bake at 325°F for 15-18 minutes. Edges will be just slightly golden brown when ready. (Photo 3)
Step Five. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until fully melted. Let the cookies cool before dipping.

Recipe Tips

If your shortbread dough too crumbly, The heat of your hands should help it come together. Also, did you use room temperature butter? That will help the dough come together.
When trying to roll it out, the edges will be a little crumbly! Just press the extra dough back into place. When in doubt, roll into balls and press with the palm of your hand or a fork. Works like a charm.
Don’t skip the refrigeration. This helps to hold it’s shape while baking.

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5 from 1 vote

Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

By Bailey Rhatigan

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Refrigeration: 30

Total: 1

Servings: cookies

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Equipment

mixing bowls
baking sheet

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
▢ ¾ cup powdered sugar
▢ ½ tsp vanilla extract
▢ 2 cups all purpose flour
▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
▢ ¼ cup peppermint candy, crushed

Instructions

Make the shortbread cookies. Cream the softened butter in a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended.
Mix in the flour and salt continue to mix until the dough is crumbly. Mix slowly until a crumbly dough forms, try not to over mix. It will look like crumbs in the stand mixer, but when squeezed together in your hands it should hold its shape.
Shape into a disk or oval ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This will help the dough and the cookies keep their shape.
After refrigeration, Preheat oven to 325°F Once chilled, roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut into festive shapes. Or, simply cut into squares, rectangles or circles using a pastry cutter. You can really do any shape you'd like!
Bake at 325°F for 15-18 minutes. Edges will be just slightly golden brown when ready. Do not overcook them, they will get too crumbly.
Make the melted chocolate. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until fully melted. Let the cookies cool before dipping.
Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate. Sprinkle peppermint candy bits over the chocolate and place flat on parchment paper.
Let the chocolate dipped cookies set at room temperature or in the refrigerator until the chocolate has slightly hardened. Enjoy!

Notes

If your shortbread dough too crumbly, The heat of your hands should help it come together. Also, did you use room temperature butter? That will help the dough come together.
When trying to roll it out, the edges will be a little crumbly! Just press the extra dough back into place. When in doubt, roll into balls and press with the palm of your hand or a fork. Works like a charm.
Don’t skip the refrigeration. This helps to hold it’s shape while baking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.